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Knitting Guide

Sometimes decreases are decorative, especially in lace knitting where they form part of the pattern. Then you have to be aware of whether the decrease slants right or left. Each decrease has an opposite and the two of them are called a pair There is one way to work the decrease that is the pair to p2tog which slopes to the left when seen on the front (knit side) of the work. See page 32 for ways to slip stitches. Slip one, slip one, purl two together through backs of loops (ssp or p2tog tbl) 1...

The book has been divided into colour coded sections to help you find the information you need quickly and easily. Each new technique is explained with clear diagrams, photographs and step-by-step instructions. Getting Started is colour coded purple and teaches you the basic techniques you need to begin knitting straight away. It offers invaluable information about yarns and choosing the correct needles for your work. At the end of this section is a page of useful hints and tips to improve your...

The knitting should be smooth on the front with the yarn floats lying neatly across the back with one colour always above the other Using just two colours on each row does not limit the range of designs possible in traditional fair isle. This patch gives plenty of practise knitting with yarn held in both hands. Fair isle baby blanket is knitted in a worsted DK wool cotton yarn on size 6 4mm UK8 needles. See page 141 for pattern.

A border of looped knitting makes a mock fur fabric for the collar and cuffs on a garment. As an all-over fabric, it can be used to make soft toys or, with the loops cut, a pile rug. The base fabric is garter stitch a row of twisted knit stitches knitted through the back of the loop kl tbl is followed by a row of loop stitches. The pattern is a two row repeat with the loops made on the wrong side row and all the stitches are knitted through the back of the stitch on the right side row. Knitting...

The general term used to cover eyelets, faggoting and lace is lace knitting. These form categories on their own, but many stitch patterns overlap between two or even three of them. Eyelets are single holes worked in rows or in groups on a background of stockinette stocking stitch for example, a drawstring can be threaded through a row of eyelets with three or four stitches between them. Knitted faggoting is the same term as that used in embroideiy and describes a line of horizontal or vertical...

Beads should have a large enough hole to slide on to the yarn without being forced. If the fit is too tight, the yarn will wear and fray. y Match the beads to the yarn use small, light beads with a delicate yarn and larger beads with a harder wearing, thicker yarn. y The fabric should be knitted tightly enough so that the beads won't slip between the stitches to the wrong side. Always knit the stitches either side of the bead firmly. Add the beads on a right side row so they hang...

Each area of colour needs its own bobbin of yarn. You should never knit straight from the ball because with all the twisting, the yarn will become horribly tangled and the knitting becomes a chore. Working with bobbins you can pull out sufficient yarn to knit the stitches and then leave it hanging at the back of the work out of the way of the other yarns. You can buy plastic bobbins and wrap a small amount of yarn on to each one but it is easy to make your own and cheaper if the intarsia design...

The number of stitches to cast on equals the number of stitches in each square multiplied by the number of squares. Cast on more or less stitches to make the squares bigger or smaller. y Always start with the base row of triangles, then repeat the purl row of squares and the knit row of squares to form the main fabric, ending with a purl row to work the top triangles across. The woven effect of entrelac can be emphasised by working in two colours work the knit rows of squares in one colour and...

Short rows are partially knitted rows the work is turned before the row is completed and the same stitches are worked back across. This results in there being two more rows at one side of the fabric than at the other. Short row knitting is also called turning, or partial knitting. The technique is commonly used for shaping sock heels, known as turning a heel. On each turning row one less stitch is worked and then, to turn the heel, you work one more stitch each turning row until you are back to...

An increase is worked before the first Continue in this way until the side of the square is the required length, ending with a WS row. A decrease is now worked at the start of every row see page 28-9 Next row Ssk, k to end. Next row P2tog, p to end. Continue to decrease until 3 sts remain, sk2po. Fasten off. Depending on the gauge tension , the square may be more of a diamond. Block it to shape or work in a pattern that has more rows to the 4in I Ocm . A traditional use of this square is called...

Intarsia is a technique of colour knitting suitable for large areas of colour where several blocks of different colours are worked in the same row. Unlike fair isle knitting where two colours are carried along the row to form a repeating pattern, intarsia knitting is characterized by single motifs, geometric patterns or pictures. Intarsia uses a separate ball of yarn for each block of colour. The yarns are twisted together to link the areas of colour and prevent a hole. Most colourwork designs...

When you run out of yarn and need to start a new ball in the same colour or need to change to another colour, always start a new ball of yarn at the beginning of a row. at a seam edge where the ends can be woven in without showing on the front. Simply drop the old yarn, wrap the new yarn around the needle and work a few stitches. Tie the two ends securely together at the beginning of the row so neither one will work its way free and unravel your stitches. When you've finished the piece, undo...

This is used to join two edges with the same number of stitches. It is often used for shoulder seams where the stitches have been left on stitch holders. You need three needles for this method. 1 Slip each set of stitches on to a needle, place together with right sides facing and hold in the left hand. 2 Insert the third right-hand needle through both sets of stitches and draw a loop through, knitting the stitches together Repeat for the next set of two stitches. Using the simple bind cast off...

Work from left to right and in a zigzag manner.The smocking stitches should be equally spaced on every 4th row. Note the artwork shows the stitches not tightened so the path of the needle can clearly be seen. 1 Bring the needle with the smocking thread up at A. having secured it on the wrong side by running it through the edge of the knit rib with a few backstitches. Follow the row across and take it under the stitch at B from right to left. Take the needle across the front of the work between...

1 Purl to the turning point slip the next stitch purlwise on to the right-hand needle and then take the yarn back between the needles to the right side of the work. 2 Slip the slipped stitch back to the right-hand needle and take the yarn back to the knit position.Turn the work as though at the end of a row.The slipped stitch has been wrapped and it has a bar across it. Purl back across the row. Insert the tip of the right-hand needle into the back of the loop and place it on to the left-hand...

Abbreviations are used to shorten techniques and words to make written knitting instructions easier to read and a manageable length. There are some standard abbreviations but others can vary. Always read the abbreviations on your pattern's knitting instructions carefully. The following are the most common abbreviations used throughout this book. make one twisted to the right increase 1 stitch the back of the loops 1 stitch decreased round brackets the number of times indicated Throughout the...

At the beginning of any knitting pattern, the designer will state the gauge tension that you need to achieve and this is used to calculate the finished dimensions of the garment. It is a veiy important part of knitting and is the number of stitches and rows to lin 2.5cm . If you do not get the correct gauge tension the garment will not be the correct size. More stitches to lin 2.5cm and the garment will be smaller fewer stitches to lin 2.5cm and the garment will be bigger. A tight fitting...